Birds of a Feather

[For whose sake I have lost all things]

I’ve needed God to lift my head quite a bit in this challenging season of my life, but It’s when I feel the most conflicted that I’m also most certain that He is faithfully covering me with His feathers.

It’s always in my grief and distress that I hear Him the loudest and understand Him the most. It’s in the struggle that He offers encouragement or assistance, even if it’s simply a new lesson and perspective. This is still worth so much more than gold to me.

“For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.” –Psalm 63:7

Determination

After a rough day on Saturday, I woke up Sunday morning feeling worn, and weak. (Physically, more so than mentally.) Mentally, I had a determination to push to be at church. I needed to be revived!

There are benefits to “flocking together.” and we’re told to do so, with good reason. When we’re isolated it’s too easy to get lost in those negative thoughts. We need to spur one another on (Hebrews 10:23-25, Hebrews 3:13)

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.” –2 Timothy 4:2

Confidence

At church I was reminded once again of that confidence that we as believers have: the confidence that God is able. I must admit though, I’ve been tugging at that old rope. You know the one: God has one end, and you have the other. Well, that old rope is starting to fray.

When the weather changes, our gaze can land on the things we believe we’re lacking: a job, a relationship, money, purpose, family, friends, good health, or whatever it is we think we’re missing. We’re told to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added, but do we always do this and believe it?

Here for a Reason

For me, one of the benefits of assembling together with the “flock” on Sunday was the reminder that nothing Andrew and I have been going through is unusual or without purpose. Paul the apostle was conflicted too, but he also understood that he was here for a reason.

Convinced

Paul wrote the letter, that you’ll find under the heading below, to the Philippians while he was in prison. He also wrote: “And because of my chains most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Phillipians 1:14). He was focused on what was most important, and convinced that it was necessary for him to go on living to help others progress.

Purposeful Perspective

This wasn’t pride or arrogance. He knew that even being imprisoned served its purpose. He believed in the work and power of Jesus Christ.

What if we looked at our chains with this purposeful perspective? We may not always see, or recognize who our chains are affecting for Christ, but whether we see it or not, maybe we should be convinced of it as Paul was. God is faithful and working in our affliction.

“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.” –Philippians 1:22-26

To Live is Christ

The broader view of Sunday’s sermon was what Paul proclaimed: “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phillipians 1:21) I appreciated how Pastor Mark expanded on this: “For the hockey player, to live is hockey. For the musician, to live is music.” The list goes on. Whatever we put first is what we consider truly living.

Evidence

I want very much to put Jesus first, but by the evidence God puts before me, I know that I don’t always do this. I don’t always take my thoughts captive, and I don’t always make myself a slave for Christ: a prisoner of hope (Zechariah 9:12).

Instead, I struggle with the unknown; I don’t confidently trust my days to God, or believe that His power rests on me (2 Corinthians 12:9). Lately, I’ve been more concerned about the things I believed I was lacking. (The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.) I’m rethinking things again though. (Recalculating.)

Freedom

If you caught that I used the word slave as opposed to servant, I did this with good reason: it has a much stronger resolve to me than servant does.

We don’t prefer to see ourselves as slaves because we don’t enjoy the idea of giving up anything, especially our freedom. However, God requires that we surrender our lives to Him to gain true freedom. This takes submitting to Jesus.

Our freedom to do as we please will always lead us wrong because of the deceitful desires of our heart, but Jesus won’t. So, we willingly trust God’s wisdom, and put off our old selves to be made new in the attitude of our minds (Ephesians 4:22-23, 1 Corinthians 6:12)

First

To put Jesus first then, is what it truly means to die to the flesh (or to die to self). As Paul put it, “to die is gain.” We make it our goal then to die daily. (1 Corinthians 15:31). When we understand what we have inherited in Him, we should come to the conclusion that what we believed we needed isn’t worth the cost of having it. (Matthew 16:25-26)

Paul had it right. He knew Christ. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. We don’t always get it right. However, when birds of a feather flock together we can refuel, refocus, and reroute (reroot even), as we make those course corrections.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” –Philippians 3:8

“My great desire is to be with you. But this is the place you chose for me.”

2 thoughts on “Birds of a Feather”

Good stuff!!! Thanks for sharing! I always love the encouragement that’s found in Paul’s writings:)
It’s powerful the way God can use Bible heroes who wrote a few thousand years ago to inspire us (these days) to write and look at life in a beautiful, new perspective. It proves His word truly is everlasting. Psalm 119:89